Carpet reburling tool



Dec. 19, 1961 J. w. REILING CARPET REBURLING TOOL Filed April 9, 1959 INVENTOR fa e v/ Wfz ez'Zz'w y BY 021g ATTORNEY re States The present invention relates broadly to repair tools, and in its specific phases to a special form of tool adapted for use in repairing carpets which require replacement of tufts.

Quite commonly a carpet witha tufted surface will be injured so that some of the original tufts are missing, due to cigarette burns or the like, leaving small areas of the carpet backing more or less exposed, or with damaged tufts above same which should be removed and replaced. In the past various procedures have been followed in taking repairs to such areas, including cutting out the damaged area and sewing in a replacement piece of carpet. Efforts have also been made to weave in some similar yarn in the damaged area, but such has not been too successful since the repaired area is readily distinguishable from the balance of the carpet. This led to the conception of a different repair procedure and tool for accomplishing it, and to the development of the present invention which has proven to be commercially acceptable.

Accordingly among the objects of the present invention is the provision of a new procedure and a special tool which is relatively inexpensive and simple and which perrnits easy application of replacement tufts in such manner that when the work is properly and skillfully done the repaired portion of the carpet cannot be distinguished from the main portion of the carpet.

Another object is to provide a special tool which has a shallow forked end which is rounded and with tapering side grooves and a tapered shank to facilitate installation of replacement carpet tufts in a damaged area of the carpet, and ready removal of the tool after each tuft installation.

Still further objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, consists of the tuft replacement means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the annexed drawing and the following description setting forth in detail certain means for carrying out the invention, such disclosed means illustraling but several of various ways in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In the annexed drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of one form of the new tool.

FIGURES 2 and 3 are enlarged side elevations of the lower end portion of the tool shank, looking in directions at a right angle to each other. 7

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal sectional view as taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIGURE 5 is a transverse sectional view as taken on line 5-5 of FIGURE 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 but showing slight variations.

A11 elongated metal shank 10 is provided, having a conventional handle 11 of any desired type at its upper end. The shank and handle may be releasably or fixedly connected in any adequate manner and the showing is intended to diagrammatically illustrate same. For illustrative purposes, the shank is shown as having a peripheral groove 12 to be engaged by conventional shank holding means (not shown) of the handle. The shank may be of circular cross-section, as in FIGURES 1 to 5,

atent Q inclusive, or of other cross-section, such as square as shown in FIGURE 6; and said shank is preferably downwardly tapered, at least in its end portion, as shown, for ease of use and removal after the anchoring of each tuft with same. a

The lower end of the shank 10 is formed with a transverse groove 13; and two longitudinal grooves 14 are formed in opposite sides of said shank, respectively. The lower ends of the grooves 14 communicate with the opposite ends of the groove 13; and the depth of said grooves 14 is preferably decreased gradually toward the upper ends of said grooves, leaving only an infinitesimal depth at said upper ends. The cross-section of the grooves 13 and 14 is preferably curved, as shown in FIGURES 1 to 5, inclusive, but could well be angular, for example, as in FIGURE 6.

The top 15 of the transverse groove 13 is of small area and is rounded as seen in FIGURE 4; and said top 15 curvedly merges into the bottoms 16 of the longitudinal grooves 14. The lower end portions 17 of the shank 10,

at opposite sides of the groove 13, are preferably blunt and rounded, as seen in FIGURES 2, 3, and 4.

In preparing to use the tool, a length or lengths of yarn, possibly obtained from a carpet remnant or by raveling from an inconspicuous edge of the carpet, is placed in readiness for use after the exposed zone of the carpet backing has been cleaned by clipping or other tuft remnant removal procedure, and a rather quick drying, thick, viscous cement, such as rubber cement, is applied to said zone. The length of yarn is then laid over the edge of the cleaned area or placed in the grooves 13 and 14 and, if desired, may be preliminarily finger-held therein, and the tool is so positioned that the bight of the yarn underlying the groove top 15 is placed on an edge of the exposed backing zone. A light downward blow is then delivered on the end of the handle 11 to force the bight of the yarn tightly against the cement-covered zone of the backing, thereby anchoring a restricted portion of the yarn to the backing. The tool is then removed, and the yarn is given an upward loop. Then, the tool is re-applied astride the yarn at the end of the loop, and another light downward blow is delivered to the end of handle 11, thereby anchoring the loop end adjacent the previously anchored portion of the yarn. These operations are repeated as many times as required to fill in and cover the exposed zone of the carpet backing, and the upstanding ends of the yarn or anchored loops are finally cut off to match the main portion of the carpet, leaving a repair which is substantially indistinguishable from the rest of the carpet. I 1

If care be exercised in the positioning of the tool in sbstantially perpendicular position to the carpet, each time a blow is delivered to the upper end of handle 11 the groove top 15 of same will force the yarn tightly against the carpet backing, and some of the yarn will be forced down into the hollows between the warp and woof of said backing to assure tight anchoring of the yarn. Also, each time a blow is delivered to the upper end of handle 1 1, the blunt end portions 17 of the shank 10 will force some of the cement layer down into the backing as well as between fibers of the yarn loop to cause them to be tanaciously keyed together. During deliverance of the blows to the handle 11, and which should only be hard enough to make a firm connection of the yarn with the carpet backing and not to drive the yarn through same which would weaken the carpet backing, the groove top 15 and the shank portions 17 cannot injure the yarn or carpet backing due to their rounded formations.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that a simple novel, and advantageous tool has been disclosed. However, attention is invited to the possibility of making variations within the spirit and scope of the invention as herein illustrated and described. While directional terms such as upper, downwardly, lower, bottoms, et 'cetera,

have been used, such terms have been used to better describe the tool in the position shown in the drawing and are not'to be considered as limiting on the invention since obviously the tool can be used in various positions depending upon whether the carpet to be repaired is laying on a horizontal surface or not.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of those explained, change being made as regards the tool herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. A carpet reburling tool for applying tufts of yarn to an exposed area of carpet backing to which a viscous cement has been applied; said tool comprising an elongated shank including an impact-receiving upper end to which a force may be applied, the lower end of said shank including a downwardly opening transverse groove having a semi-circular upper end portion symmetrical about the longitudinal axis of said shank, said groove including opposed diverging side portions extending tangentially from said semi-circular upper end portion, said transverse groove having a cross-sectional area greater than that of a circle generated by the radius of said semi-circular upper end portion, the lower end of said shank terminating at opposite sides of said transverse groove at spaced points substantially coinciding with a line perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said shank and tangent to the circle generated by the radius of said semi-circular portion, said shank including opposed longitudinal grooves normal to said transverse groove and communicating therewith, said semi-circular upper end portion of said transverse groove conforming substantially to the outer surface of a piece of yarn disposed therein for receiving the force of a blow at the upper end of the tool, the lower end of said shank being relieved towards its transverse groove for providing an area in which viscous mastic may be forced adjacent opposite sides of a strand of yarn being applied by the tool.

2. The structure of claim 1; the terminal ends of said shank being blunted to prevent penetration into the carpet backing.

3. The structure of claim 1; said shank being tapered exteriorly toward said lower end to occupy a minimum space and facilitate the placement of strands of yarn immediately adjacent each other.

La Clair May 31, 1898 Pawarasat May 16, 1905 

1. A CARPET REBURLING TOOL FOR APPLYING TUFTS OF YARN TO AN EXPOSED AREA OF CARPET BACKING TO WHICH A VISCOUS CEMENT HAS BEEN APPLIED, SAID TOOL COMPRISING AN ELONGATED SHANK INCLUDING AN IMPACT-RECEIVING UPPER END TO WHICH A FORCE MAY BE APPLIED, THE LOWER END OF SAID SHANK INCLUDING A DOWNWARDLY OPENING TRANSVERSE GROOVE HAVING A SEMI-CIRCULAR UPPER END PORTION SYMMETRICAL ABOUT THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID SHANK, SAID GROOVE INCLUDING OPPOSED DIVERGING SIDE PORTIONS EXTENDING TANGENTIALLY FROM SAID SEMI-CIRCULAR UPPER END PORTION, SAID TRANSVERSE GROOVE HAVING A CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA GREATER THAN THAT OF A CIRCLE GENERATED BY THE RADIUS OF SAID SEMI-CIRCULAR UPPER END PORTION, THE LOWER END OF SAID SHANK TERMINATING AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID TRANSVERSE GROOVE AT SPACED POINTS SUBSTANTIALLY COINCIDING WITH A LINE PERPENDICULAR TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID SHANK AND TANGENT TO THE CIRCLE GENERATED BY THE RADIUS OF SAID SEMI-CIRCULAR PORTION, SAID SHANK INCLUDING OPPOSED LONGITUDINAL GROOVES NORMAL TO SAID TRANSVERSE GROOVE AND COMMUNICATING THEREWITH, SAID SEMI-CIRCULAR UPPER END PORTION OF SAID TRANSVERSE GROOVE CONFORMING SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE OUTER SURFACE OF A PIECE OF YARN DISPOSED THEREIN FOR RECEIVING THE FORCE OF A BLOW AT THE UPPER END OF THE TOOL, THE LOWER END OF SAID SHANK BEING RELIEVED TOWARDS ITS TRANSVERSE GROOVE FOR PROVIDING AN AREA IN WHICH VISCOUS MASTIC MAY BE FORCED ADJACENT OPPOSITE SIDES OF A STRAND OF YARN BEING APPLIED BY THE TOOL. 